


Safe

by Dazzledfirestar



Category: The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Aftercare, Established Relationship, Flogging, Limit Testing, M/M, Safeword Use
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-07
Updated: 2013-05-07
Packaged: 2017-12-10 15:36:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/787650
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dazzledfirestar/pseuds/Dazzledfirestar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Phil and Nick decide to try to test some limits. It doesn't go exactly as Phil thought it would.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Safe

**Author's Note:**

> Written for agentcoulsonsupernanny for the AO3 fundraising auction. I hope you like it, Kiwi! <3

Things built slowly. It was really the only way to go about this. Phil thought it would be an interesting experience. How far could they take it? How much could he take, knowing the partner he was with knew him better than anyone? That he trusted Nick more than was likely smart. So how far could they go?

 

Nick had thought about it for longer than Phil thought he would. Certain rules would have to be in place. No crossing the usual lines, obviously. Those were limits neither of them wanted to play with or try to test. They were both well aware of what would and would not fly so really, that rule was a reiteration of the usual ones. But it was a necessary reiteration. One that Phil always appreciated, especially when he thought about what it would be like if they just assumed that kind of thing. He didn’t like assumptions at the best of times. He really didn’t like assumptions when he was in a situation with someone who had that level of power over him. Not like this anyway. Not with Nick’s hand wrapped comfortably around the handle of a flogger they were both very familiar with. They both liked it better when everything was spelled out, plain and simple. It made it easier to concentrate on other things.

 

It started as it always did—comfort in the familiar first, he figured—with Phil bent over the end of the bed, gripping the footboard lightly, kneeling on the bench they’d put there just for nights like this as Nick ran his hands down his back, across his ass; blunt nails scratching lightly, bringing every nerve to life. “So fucking gorgeous like this.” He whispered in Phil’s ear before lightly smacking his ass and pulling back.

 

The first strike of the soft suede falls made him hum softly. It wasn’t hard enough for anything else. Not yet. But they were starting slow, he reminded himself. He let out another hum as Nick swung a little harder and he slowly lost himself to the rhythm. By the time Nick checked in again and changed tools, Phil was sure his shoulders and ass were a lovely shade of pink. It hadn’t been enough to get him into any kind of endorphin high but it was still a lovely warm feeling.

 

The first strike with the second tool made him gasp and smile. He knew that feeling and could picture the wide black hide that fell heavily from the simple black handle. Nick had smiled when they had picked it up, running the leather over Phil’s bare arm and leaning in to whisper something about enjoying the contrast. The next fall brought a moan to his lips both from the sensation and the memory. He felt himself arch out for more and the words came out more as a moan than anything else. “Sir, please…” he gasped and felt his cock twitch as another strike fell, “Please… _green_!”

 

He heard Nick chuckle lightly before the flogger hit heavily across his ass. He jumped, unsure whether into or away from the blow. But he slowly fell into the rhythm and the soft, floating feeling that came with high endorphin levels. With each step up, it was the same. The moans and twitch of his hips increased until he was sure he’d have to ask permission to come before they went much further. And he would. As soon as Nick gave the word. As soon as he said ‘Come for me.’ Phil would and he would love it. Nick would love it. They’d played that game too many times not to know that Nick loved watching him get off without being touched.

 

But that would end things far too soon.

 

The change in sensation drew a sharp gasp from him with the last flogger. The falls where thinner, braided. The sting was sharp, almost as if his skin broke with the impact. He knew it didn’t but it pulled a deep breath from him before Nick hit him again. He knew Nick was holding back, but every deep breath cleared his head long enough for the pain to spread out along his nerves. A half moaned, half sobbed “Green, Sir!” left his lips and his grip on the footboard tightened.

 

He screamed at the next fall. And the next. This was the point after all; some foggy part of his brain reminded him of that. The point was to see where the line was and he wasn’t sure this was it yet. Not yet. His arms shook, even though he didn’t notice. He didn’t notice the growing hesitation between the harder hits. If he was honest, he didn’t notice anything but the deep, lingering sting of each hit.

 

“Yellow…” The word came out shaky, like his own voice—usually so calm and in control—had taken a break and left this one behind.

 

But the bed beside him dipped a moment later and one strong, callused hand cupped his cheek. “Eyes up, Phil.”

 

He lifted his head. “Sorry, Sir… just give me a minute.” The words slurred a little as he spoke. Part of him wanted to slide back into that space in his head where everything Nick did felt good; where behaving and taking it was what he was all he wanted to do. He hadn’t said stop. Not exactly. Yellow didn’t mean stop. It just meant slow down.

 

He didn’t want to stop exactly. He just needed a couple deep breaths and he’d be fine. He was sure he could take more. He wanted to try. He wanted to be good for Nick. He wanted to behave himself. He wanted to get back to the space in his head where it all felt good again.

 

“Hey, you never ever apologize for that, Phil…” He looked up again, dutifully sipping from the straw Nick offered him. Orange juice.  Nick was a creature of habit, especially with this, so that could only mean one thing. “No more. I’m calling it.”

 

“Sir, please…” His protest was cut off as Nick pried his hand off the foot of the bed. Phil whimpered and Nick took his time straightening his fingers, pressing a kiss to each knuckle.

 

“Phil, what’s my job in all this?” Nick pressed a soft kiss to his palm.

 

“To…” he winced. “To take care of me.”

 

“And what’s the rule about all this?”

 

“That we’re both comfortable with whatever we’re doing or it doesn’t happen.”

 

“Well, I’m not right now.” He started working at his other hand and Phil moaned—in the bad way—as his pointer finger was massaged. “I know you want to test how far you can take it but, this is how far **I**  can take it.” Phil blinked up at him a few times. “I love you. I love having this with you. But this… where we got today. That’s the line for me.” Nick kissed his temple. “Can you get up on the bed?”

 

Phil nodded slowly before he really thought about it and nearly fell over when his knees decided to disagree with him. Nick caught him, levering him onto the bed. When Phil started to roll over, Nick stopped him, getting him to take another sip of juice. He felt his muscles start to shake as he drank. “Nick…”

 

“I’m right here.” One hand moved to the base of his neck, rubbing slow circles in the muscles. “Will you be okay for a minute if I go get a cloth for you?”

 

Phil nodded, still shaky. It’d never been this intense before, he thought distantly. Of course, they hadn’t pushed so hard before. Nick wrapped a light blanket around him and kissed his temple again before the dip in the bed disappeared. Phil had started to wonder if he was coming back when the blanket moved and the cool comforting press of a damp cloth touched his overheated skin. He whimpered a little when Nick’s hand pressed on the cloth before lifting it and flipping it over—he presumed anyway, not being able to see out of the back of his head, despite what some people thought—and pressing it to another spot.

 

“Shh. You did so good.” Nick’s voice was soft as he lay down next to Phil. “I’m so proud of you.”

 

Phil blinked lazily at him, a soft smile crossing his face. “I like making you proud of me.” His words still slurred a little and he took another sip of juice.

 

He felt more than saw Nick smile. He loved that too. Making Nick smile; not in that way that just anyone could. No, not like that at all. He loved making Nick smile at him like he was the only other person in the world. Nobody else got that from him and Phil loved him more for that. “You always make me proud.” He lifted the cloth again, flipping it over and settling it on another spot. “Is that still good?”

 

“Mhmm.” Phil turned his head a little, reaching out for Nick. “Love you…”

 

Nick’s lips pressed to his and he felt a soft smile cross his face. “I love you too. You did so good. You’re perfect. Thank you for this.”

 

Phil let out a soft sound that would have been a laugh if he’d had the energy. “Thank you for watching out for both of us.”

  
“Part of the job.” Nick pushed a few stray strands of sweaty hair from Phil’s forehead. “You warm enough?” Phil nodded, but pressed closer, seeking more body heat and contact. Nick nuzzled Phil’s neck as he nodded. He knew the routine and as much as it seemed to be for his benefit—and it was—he knew Nick needed the closeness too. Nick had called the scene after all.

 

That realization seeped in slowly, drifting this way and that through the mist of sleep and endorphins. “Nick?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“You okay?”

 

He heard the soft sigh. “I’m okay.” Nick kissed him again, softly, slowly. “I love making you scream, Phil.” He smiled into the next kiss. “I love watching you fall apart for me but…” Nick nuzzled his neck. “Not like that. That wasn’t what I want from you.”

 

Phil kissed him again. Anywhere he could press his lips, he did. He’d let that perspective slide in his thought of all this testing limits business. He’d done the same thing he hated in other people. He’d assumed it would be okay.  “I’m—“

 

“No apologies.” Nick pulled back just enough to look him in the eye. “We called it. It’s fine. I don’t want to go there again.”

 

“Me either.”

 

“Okay.” Nick’s hand cradled Phil’s head as he started to drift off. “I love you.”

 

“I love you too.” He wrapped his arms firmly around Nick’s waist before drifting off and he promised himself he wouldn’t let that slide again. This was supposed to be safe for both of them, after all. Nick kept him safe, he would do the same.


End file.
